Alpha Zero
by TetsuoTsubushi
Summary: Post MMZ. Zero left alone and damaged in a desert after his battle with X comes across a place that may have been a MHHQ and also another copy of X. [Complete]
1. Prolouge: Final Battle

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Zero Alpha

Notice: I don't own Mega Man, or Zero. I own nothing of any interest so Capcom has nothing to gain by bringing me to court.

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Prologue: Final Battle 

"Too weak. Was the original X this weak?"

"Wha…What!"

"I may have lost my memory, but my body seems to remember that the original X was mightier than you."

"Silence. Now you will feel my true power! Ha!" The reploid that sat on the floor moves into the air without effort. A glow engulfs him and from that comes one with wings that span the majority of the small room.

Zero, that is the name of the legendary reploid from a 100 years ago. He had fought along side the original X in the battle against the mavericks. When he found that the maverick virus was inside of him he put himself in hibernation in hopes that over the next 102 years that virus would leave. Now after all that time it has, but the world he had awoken to is not the same one he left. The reploids and humans had gained peace, and mavericks were no longer around. However, the Neo-Arcadia force began to 'retire' the reploids that they deemed would become mavericks. So many innocent reploids were put to death. A resistance formed and eventually found Zero. Zero had fought Neo-Arcadia and defeated every one of Master X's lackeys. Zero fought all the way to get to this point; against Master X. Master X was the copy made of the original X in hopes of having him to keep peace. However, that copy found that peace could only be enforced and oppressed everyone.

Zero stood up and stared at the 'Angel X' before him. Zero drew his Z-Saber and dashed at his opponent slashing the head of Angel X before landing back on the ground. As Angel X fired his laser beams down upon him Zero moved in an instant to kick off the wall X had unknowingly provided and struck downward on X's head breaking it apart.

"Why…why…I was…" Angel X stuttered as he fell to the ground losing his appendages. "Supposed to be…the perfect copy…How can this be…possible…I was supposed to be…a hero…" X's copy continued to babble as he lied on the floor before Zero.

"I've just remembered something." Zero began as he faced away from the copy. "He was not as naïve as you are. That's what made him a hero."

"I won't forgive you. I'll take you with me…" The copy announced boldly.

_The final defensive line has been destroyed. Self-destruction mode activated in Area X. All dangerous elements are to be eradicated._

The room was red and an alarm could be heard all over the room. "It's time to go…" Zero noted calmly as he dashed forward and jumped out of the room as an explosion takes the room.

_Since you disappeared I've been fighting this war alone against an uncountable number of mavericks for nearly a hundred years…_

Zero lied on the brown desert sands as he rested. He heard this voice and presence of someone he knew to be an ally.

_Battle after battle…So painful and so sad…_

Zero couldn't remember clearly who this person was, but his body did. It was someone he had once placed his trust in. The true X.

_But the hardest part was when I discovered that I no longer cared about fighting enemies._

A hint of something sad was what Zero heard. A regret or remorse in this person's voice.

_I'll leave this world to you. Please allow me…to rest in peace…for a while_

A plead. This person asked Zero to protect everything. He had to be the one to help everyone and bring true peace. The responsibility was his alone, and he was able to handle it.

_I'm sorry Zero…_

The presence was gone and Zero felt his body had rested enough. He slowly stirred and began to stand as he went over what X asked of him. Zero had protected this world from the copy of X and his army. He didn't know, but he felt he had protected many people like this before because the ability came so easily to him. He knew this was something he had to do.

"So be it, but that's why we are the best partners." Zero said with a smirk as he turned his attention to the stretch of desert behind him. Many enemies were coming now and he had to fight even in his current beat-up state. "I'll do what you want. Rest for a while. I will handle it, you can count on me." Zero watched the hundreds of reploids before him waiting to strike him and defeat him. "I won't stop! When an enemy appears I will terminate it." Zero declared as he drew his Z-Saber and formed a grin on his face. "I won't stop!" He yelled as he dashed forward slashing many into two pieces instantly. They were no match for him even in such a large number.

A figure stirs from their place at a dimly lit desk. A woman named Ciel looked at her project for which she hopes to find a new means of energy to help end the battle between them and Neo-Arcadia. It was hard to work though ever since reports of X's defeat came in. Neo-Arcadia had momentarily been stopped by Zero, and his defeat of X, but Zero never returned. She worried about him with her guilty conscious. She told him to go there, she had made that copy of X, and so she felt she was at fault for everything that happened.

"Ma'am?" Cerveau stated as he entered the room.

Ciel snapped awake from her daydream. "What is it?"

"We just completed another search of the area where Zero was." Cerveau explained.

"What did you find?" Ciel questioned, but Cerveau turned away and hesitated with his answer. "Did you find Zero?"

Cerveau turned back with a serious expression. "No, but we found his Shield Boomerang and Triple Rod in the rubble." Cerveau stated. "That means two things, and one I will not mention to you."

"I know what it means. I wish you had said you found nothing. Then I wouldn't worry." Ciel commented with a downcast expression.

"Sorry Ma'am."

"Now I have to wonder whether Zero survived, or if he was defeated. The fact his weapons are here, but not him, can only mean two things. He either lost them, or he was, retired, and his weapons left behind. I want to believe that he lived."

"Then say it."

"I know he lived." She said with hope and optimism.

"I'm sure he has, but he may be damaged. I will make an effort to get the unit to search harder for him, but there are other things going on that require an equal amount of attention." Cerveau stated.

"You mean Elpizo and all of that stuff? We will be moving to a new facility as soon as we can. This one just isn't secure." Ciel explained. "Especially without Zero."

"I understand. I will prepare everything for the move."

"You do that." Ciel remarked. Cerveau left her lab and Ciel looked to her console in thought. "I'm so sorry Zero." She laid her head in her arms covering her face from her surroundings. She was the cause for so much grief. How can so many look to her with the respect they show her? They all say they owe so much to her, and that she is great. How can she be that if she was the cause for all of their troubles? She made that X copy, she sent Zero to his death, and she was the one who helped the enemy so much. She has been trying to fix her mistakes. That's why they stuck to her, because she tried her best to right her wrongs. Still, she could never bring back the ones who died because of her actions. 


	2. Sand of Time

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Zero Alpha

Notice: I don't own Mega Man, or Zero. I own nothing of anyinterest so Capcom has nothing to gain by bringing me to c-ourt. That is the last time I'll say that so whatever.

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Mission One: Sand of Time 

The desert was hot under the afternoon sun even to a reploid. Zero continued along the path that he felt would lead him somewhere he felt he should be. His throat was unbearably dry due to the long distance he's traveled since the previous day, and the sand that would often find it's way into his mouth. Even a reploid such as himself wouldn't last long out here without water or anything else.

Zero's attention was taken when he glanced to the distance in front of him. A small metal tower broke through the ground so that it was clearly seen from afar. Zero headed that way when something inside of him silently screamed for him to go to it. With each step Zero felt lighter and the wounds he had suffered from the guardians and X seemed to no longer affect him. Then the one tower became three. There was only one, and he knew that. Everything became blurry and multiplied as he became weaker, but he never stopped. He wasn't aware of what still drove him to walk toward the tower. His body had taken control of his actions.

"What is it?" Zero questioned as he came closer to the object.

_This place again? I hate this place_.

"I've been here…before." Zero noted as he approached the teal rock surface that he thought to be a metal tower. A support for a highway that once ran through this desert area. This place had once been near a city, or rather this place that was now only sand was once an area where a city stood. "I've seen this before."

Many years ago Zero came here to fight someone. X was here as well. He and X were partners and they both investigated this place a number of times. Zero saved X here. X was being beaten by a foe in a Ride Armor who was about to go in for the final strike. Zero used his Z-Buster to chase off the reploid with ease. X was weaker than him. Zero was stronger, but was he? Could it just be that they were equal?

Zero tripped and fell to his knees causing the sand to stir and make a cloud surrounding Zero. "I don't…understand any of that." Zero used his Z-Saber to stand up and walked over to the support pillar. A loud noise came from within it that resembled a rapid. "Water? Heh. Perfect." Zero smirked as he slashed the wall causing water to erupt and hit him in a blast. Slowly the water clamed and the flow wasn't as strong. Zero shook the water off him as he moved his head to the flow of water to get a drink. After getting a good supply of water in him he sat down to look over his wounds.

_X defeated someone I failed to._

"Huh? A weird thought." Zero noted. "Are these my memories?"

A male reploid in nearly gold armor approached Ciel in her laboratory. This was Elpizo, one who was on the same side as Ciel. He however had a slightly different idea of how to handle the situation than Ciel or Zero. He wanted to use force to win, but he didn't bother to think over possible results that don't end with victory.

"Oh, Elpizo." Ciel expressed just noticing his arrival.

"So, you are sure about me taking lead of all this?"

"Yes. I must concentrate on finding a new energy source so that the fighting may stop." Ciel explained.

Elpizo scoffed. "Of course."

"Be careful and don't make any risky decisions." Ciel advised.

"I will handle this well. You continue with what you do best, and I'll worry about the rest." Elpizo stated with a smirk.

"Right. Good luck. I have full confidence that you will help bring change." She said as she went back to her work.

"Yes…change"

Zero looked out from a cliff to the plains below. He was in the middle of nowhere. He was far from Neo-Arcadia, and far from the resistance base. He carried a slight fear now that he knew the resistance was in danger. He couldn't figure out what the feeling was that he had, but it wasn't good. He hoped Ciel could manage without him. She was so distraught the last time he saw her, and he thought it best she lose that look. Zero knew his strength wasn't at full as well. He had wasted too much energy, and he also no longer had his Shield Boomerang and Triple Rod so he wasn't at his best. The three guardians still were alive somewhere and he had a feeling they would come back. That meant the resistance was relatively defeated without him. The guardians were too weak for him, but no one on the resistance could fight them without losing their life.

"All that business with mavericks…Why does that seem familiar?" Zero wondered as he slid down the mountain face to the desert plains below. "Why was I hibernating? And who made me? Why was I made? Why am I a legend?" Zero continued to question as he walked onto the hot sand. "The more I go the more questions I have. All I really know is that I can fight. That comes all too naturally to me. So that means I was made to fight something right?" Zero looked away to the horizon and squints his eyes to check out the area. He definitely felt a presence out here. Who was out here with him? He was in the middle of nowhere, unless, that's what he thought. Maybe he wasn't in the middle of nowhere after all. 

_There he is…The guy who beat X…_

Zero looked around him to find that voice's owner. "Where are they? How close are they?"

_Beat me? Oh, you mean 'Master' X…_

Zero gripped his Z-Saber as it glowed green. He noticed a movement ahead of him and went for it with his superior speed, but whatever was there was faster. "No way." Zero looked around in confusion for what he swore was there. "I'm not hallucinating." He said to himself. He wasn't about to go crazy out here. "Come on out!" Zero demanded shouting to the sky. 

"I'm right here so stop whining."

Zero turned to the man quickly. "No way…I killed you."

X stepped forward from behind four other reploids that Zero couldn't make out because of the sun behind them. "You didn't kill _me_ Zero…You killed my brother for which I'm thankful for."

"I don't understand this." Zero said in disbelief. A reploid that looked just as the copy of X did. The true X was no longer around so this one was not the real one. Which led to one question: How many copies of X did Ciel make? 


	3. Resurection: X Alpha Copy

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Zero Alpha

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Mission Two: Resurection: X Alpha Copy

"How did you survive?" Zero asked in disbelief.

"Heh. You think I am the same as that pathetic Omega X? I am so much stronger than my counterpart." The X copy announced. "I am the Alpha copy of X. The first copy Ciel created. The strongest of the two she successfully created."

"Heh. I'll be the judge of that."

"Your legend title will not defeat me. You are way too weak for me to even waste time on." X stated as he turned away to his four comrades that Zero still couldn't see. "But, you may get stronger, and I don't want to face that stronger Zero." Alpha said as he turned back pointing a charged up X-Buster at Zero.

Zero began to charge his Z-Buster while dodging the attack that launched from X's weapon. Zero aimed for X through the debris of rock that sprung from the ground before him due to X's blast. "That isn't enough to destroy me." Zero noticed that his Z-Buster was failing to charge up and stopped short of any attack. "Was that all you could manage?"

"That was a warning shot. It would not be any fun for me to defeat you that fast."

"You fool. You will regret not using all of your energy in defeating me." Zero warned as he moved his hand for his Saber. "I won't allow you to fire once more."

"You don't make those decisions." X quipped as he fired at the ground below Zero missing him completely. "I'll see you in some time. I've decided to wait for you to get stronger. Then I can prove to you that I am stronger than any other reploid that has ever existed. Even the late X that I am based off of."

"Tell me this, if you are the strongest why was the other X copy in charge?" Zero said with his usual cool behavior.

"You have no more time." X noted as the ground below Zero crumbled sending Zero into the pit. "Sylph."

The winged fairy-esque reploid hovered closer to X. "Yes sir?"

"I want you to go find that fool and defeat him. Don't allow him to live, and don't underestimate him." X ordered as he and the three other reploids left Sylph there.

"Yeah! This will be so much fun! X never lets me have any fun, but he did this time around." Sylph said with excitement as he dove into the hole Zero fell through.

104 miles further down Zero has finally regained his mindset and lunges his Z-Saber into the wall of the seemingly bottomless pit he was falling down. Zero sighs as he looks down the shaft that goes even further. "What was this place? A destroyed highway above me and this shaft below. Was this once a city?" Zero began to slide down along the walls for another sixty miles before he finds a ledge that leads inward. He jumps into the hall that is lit dimly by a few lights along the stretch of hallway. "Something…is this way…something…important." Zero mumbled as he began to move down the hall carefully. The darkness would be straining to a human, but easy for someone like Zero to see down. Along the path he notices a few dusty corpses that resembled reploids that were out-of-date. "These people…murdered?"

The wall behind Zero crumbles and blocks off Zero's only known escape route. "Ha ha! X has let me have some fun with you Mr. Zero. I suggest hide and seek. Can you find me before I decide to kill you?" Sylph's voice asked as it echoed all over the corridors. Zero couldn't pinpoint the location of X's henchman, but he knew that this person sounded like a kid. He wouldn't last long against Zero.

"Heh, I'll accept your little game! I will hunt you down and we'll see what will happen." Zero shouted as he dashed along the walls of the corridor to avoid the rubble that was scattered all over the floor. "The hell?" Zero questioned as a few robotic bat-like creatures came at him. "Heh. They'll give me a good warm-up. My sword hand has been idle too long." Zero slashed through the enemies without hesitation. In short time he is inspecting the bodies of what is left. "These things have been made recently." Zero noted. "Which means, that they have either been planted here by X, or have been created down here even though it's abandoned." Zero looked away from the bats and to the remaining stretch of hallway. "These lights remain lit after so many years." Zero said as he looked at the lamps that lined the walls of the corridor. "They are still being supplied with energy. Ciel is looking for an alternate energy other than those crystals. So I should find what this placed is powered by."

Ciel placed her important data on her new desk. The resistance has made their move to the new base they will inhabit. "What is it? There's something nagging at me, Did I forget something?" Ciel wondered as she set up her equipment. "Zero." She said as she looked away from her work. "I forgot to send a unit to search for him one more time." She moved to her door in a hurry so she could request another search unit, but stopped at the door. "Maybe he is dead though. I shouldn't waste anymore of our time and resources to find him. If he is alive he will find us. I have no doubt he won't return. He is still alive and I'm sure of it. If there were a good reason for him to return he would without even thinking it over." Ciel moved back to her workstation.

"C'mon and work!" Zero yelled as he tried to charge his Buster one more time. "Nothing." He said with a sigh as he fired a single shot out at a light behind him shattering the glass and causing every light that he had passed already to turn off. "They all must be connected." He looked over his buster in defeat. If he couldn't get it to charge he may not have a good chance of defeating X. He moves along cautiously as he comes across another dead body. "These people…the were Mavericks…Of course, the Mavericks must have been entombed here so they couldn't infect anyone else." Zero looked at some in pity. He knew some of these were innocent ones who probably weren't any more a Maverick than himself. Zero fell to his knees in pain as a surge of memories hit him.

_Maverick Virus…Sigma Virus…Zero Nightmare…_

X, I'll leave the hunting to you for the time being… I'll return when I can. Until then, X…

"What is this?" Zero asked as he clutched his head in agony.

"_I see. It'll take a while to get rid of this. Even with the latest technology, it's hard to succeed... I'm not really sure if I can fix this completely..." A reploid scientist said to a Zero who was wasn't as he appeared now. His armor seemed more clunky as opposed to the armor he wore upon his reawakening._

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"Don't worry. I must do it before it's too late." Zero replied without hesitation.

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"But you haven't had any problems yet... You'll be fine as you are, won't you? It's none of my business, but what will we do in a crisis without you?" The reploid scientist questioned.

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"Ha. I'm sorry, but don't worry... There's a superior Maverick Hunter. But I'm scared that I may become a disturbing presence." Zero replied as he stepped into a capsule with a smirk.

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"I agree. You look ready." 

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"Yeah... So, when will I wake up?" Zero asked. 

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"If there is no problem... It will be around August 15th, 102 years from now." The scientist replied after calculating the time.

"Right. Here's to a successful sleep." Zero said in response closing his eyes.

"I'll do my best. Have a good sleep..."

"Was that…what happened before I was sent to rest? The next time I woke up was when I met Ciel." Zero stood up slowly as he went over the memories he had just seen. 

"Time is running out." Warned the voice of Sylph as it echoed down the stretch of hallway. 

"For you maybe." Zero said with a scoff as he got his mind back on what mattered. "Huh?" The ground shook as the wall ahead of Zero blew apart bringing a large spiked-wheel enemy that took up the entire area of the hallway it was in. Zero charged forward to slash it with his Z-Saber but was halted when he found he couldn't reach the foe with his weapon. "What now?"

_Zero…Don't give up hope…_

Zero stopped in awe as he heard the female voice in his head. She sounded do familiar to him. He was awakened as a spike just grazed his armor leaving a gash. "You aren't anything! Take this!" Zero let loose a large charged up blast from his Z-Buster at the foe obliterating it into four pieces. Zero looked on in shock not expecting his Buster to be able to deliver such a blast. His Buster could suddenly be charged up to deliver a powerful blast. Did his recovery system do that much? "I don't have time to sit around. I need to find X." Zero darted past the rubble left by the foe and deeper into the mysterious corridor of a once florid city. 


	4. Cold Wind

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Zero Alpha

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Mission Three: Wind Reploid

Zero moved into an elevator shaft that came at the end of the corridor. He looked upward and saw the sunlight that broke through a crack in the ceiling that was hundreds of miles above him. Zero couldn't see any other possible way out so he kept looking up. "Where's that reploid?"

Zero watched as the shaft vibrated slightly as if an earthquake was occurring. Se spotted a crack in the wall ahead of him and realized it to be a blocked hallway that led further into the abandoned city. "Night, night!" Zero heard that yell from Sylph and charged his buster aiming it at the rubble that blocked the hall in front of him. As the elevator pad below him began to rise swiftly he fired his blast at the rubble and darted into the hall as the elevator platform continued to the top where it crashed itself into the ceiling imbedding itself there. Zero sighed realizing that had he not move that fast he would have been crushed.

"Nice try." Zero casually admitted.

"I found you!" Sylph burst from the shaft and came charging at Zero catching the red reploid by surprise.

"Not fast enough!" Zero dashed down the hall while firing shots off behind him at Sylph. The further inward he tricked Sylph into traveling the better Zero's chances of winning. The closed area of the corridor was no place an aerial reploid could win. "take this!"

Sylph dodges every shot Zero fired as he gave chase after the legendary reploid. "So you want to play tag now? You won't last very long against me. You'll use too much energy running."

"Who's running?" Zero shouted as he lunged his saber at Sylph.

Sylph dodged the sword attack and flew past Zero who remained at attention. "This is where I retire you."

"You can't touch me at your current speeds." Zero replied with a grunt.

"I can go up to speeds of mach four! You cannot match that!" Sylph announced boldly. "That's why I'm the best tag-player around."

"Mach four? That is fast, but…" Zero moves forward as Sylph goes to dodge early, but he moves to the wrong side as Zero winds up cutting off the lower portion of Sylph's left arm with his Z-saber. "…you're only mach four in the air. This is the ground. My territory."

"Damn you! You're no fun at all!: Sylph shouted as he grasped the injured arm.

"This isn't supposed to be fun for you." Zero replied calmly.

"I won't lose in this game!" Sylph let loose a ball of wind from his buster arm sending it at Zero at high speeds. Zero jumped to the ceiling and ran across it dragging his Z-Saber along the wall as he dashed until he dropped behind Sylph. Just as he landed behind Sylph the ball of wind exploded sending a warm gust of wind throughout the hall. Zero swung his saber at Sylph's back causing damage to one of Sylph's wings. "Darn you. This is definitely not fun at all."

"You should stop this." Zero said lowering his saber and turning it off. "I don't like to harm others much. If needed I will though. You can walk away from all this now and continue to live."

"X trusted me to kill you. He gave me a home." Sylph muttered. "X and the other three of his hand are renegades who were run out from Neo-Arcadia because the other X declared us to be mavericks. We aren't!"

"If that's the case why not join the resistance? They are just the same. Exiled by Neo-Arcadia because they too are thought of as mavericks." Zero mentioned.

"X and the X you defeated are alike. They believe in the same thing, but my X is more caring than the other!" Sylph declared as he turned to Zero. "My X granted me safe-haven and I will stand by him no matter what." Sylph tore his other wing from it's place and held it as a sword. "My final attack! Windfall!" Sylph jumped as high as the corridor allowed him to and began to drop down on Zero who remained in his spot.

"Fool." Zero took up his Z-Saber and in an instant blocked the wing blade of Sylph. "I guess I have no choice if I hope to live so I can protect the innocent reploids Neo-Arcadia has declared otherwise." Zero hit the sword Sylph held away with his saber and aimed a fully charged Z-Buster aimed at Sylph's face. "So long." Zero let loose his attack shattering Sylph's helmet and face leaving the reploid to fall to his knees.

"W…Why?…All…I wanted…was to do…as X….told me…" Sylph stated with the last ounce of life. Following his words he collapsed to the ground.

Zero looked to the corpse with pity. Why had things ended that way?

"It seems Neo-Arcadia is not as concerned with us as we thought." Elpiso stated from his console to Ciel who stood below.

"What do you mean? They went and destroyed our old base just as we were leaving it." Ciel asked looking upward.

"Something, or someone has grabbed their attention as of late, and half their armies are directed at them." Elpiso responded.

"Is it Zero?" Ciel asked before thinking.

"The legendary reploid…Possibly if he still exists…It may also be that other strong reploid their after…"

"Another? I know who you speak of. We have no need to worry about Alpha."

"Whoever it is they don't matter. They are only making it harder on us to gain victory. If we were to attack with all our power on one of their forces we now would have to face a second after. Our one force cannot handle two of theirs." Elpiso explained.

Zero fired his charged buster at the roof of the elevator shaft breaking through to the afternoon desert. He kicked off against the wall until he made it outside and back on the soft desert sands. He began again on the path he felt best still cautious of X and his other three reploid subordinates.

"So Sylph failed Master X?" A bold, and rough voice questioned with a scoff. Zero turned to find a large reploid three times his size just atop the nearest dune. "I'm Geiger, the one who will destroy you." 


	5. Geiger Attacks'

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Zero Alpha

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Mission Four: Geiger's Attack

Zero watched as Geiger directed the multiple cannons along his body towards the red reploid who had just freed himself from the city below. Geiger's size didn't matter to Zero even if Zero was three times smaller. Zero drew his saber allowing it to extend as the blade's glow turned blue from green. The ice chip he had won in a previous battle was what Zero thought would damage this reploid the most. The reploid known as Geiger obviously was designed for strength, which is shown by the fact he had ten beam cannons built onto his heavy frame. He was more like a living military tank opposed to a reploid.

"So you're another one of Alpha's flunkies?" Zero said with a grin.

"Flunky? I'm 'fraid not. Call him X by the way. You should not disgrace him by calling him by any other word." Geiger warned.

"He isn't X though. X was nothing like Alpha." Zero stated. "Your X is a false one."

"How dare you utter such blasphemy and slander?" Geiger roared. "X is much greater than you are, or ever will become!" Geiger fired the four beam cannons from both his sides at Zero who darted the blast.

"Alpha is no X; the real X was the stronger one." Zero commented as he jumped to the air in an attempt to strike downward upon Geiger with his ice blade attack.

"You fool!" Geiger fired blasts from his other cannons hitting Zero further upward into the sky. Zero extended his legs to touch the pillar that was another support to the ancient highway and kicked off from it coming back down upon Geiger.

"One hit from your cannons' isn't enough!" Zero sliced Geiger freezing the large reploid around the point of contact with Zero's Z-Saber. "Damn!" Zero's saber returned to it's original green glow. "The ice element chip has been fried. I can't use it again." Zero took the burnt chip from himself and flung it off into the desert wasteland. He turned back to face Geiger only to be met with a large metallic-white fist.

"Ciel..." Alloute, the young girl reploid walked into the lab of the scientist as night fell upon their new headquarters.

"Huh? What is it?" Ciel turned her attention away from her research to the young girl who had entered the room. The door shut close as the girl moved her way over. "What's wrong?"

"Mr. Zero said he'd stay with us. Well, he never said he would, but I thought he was." The girl mumbled. "He's a big liar. He never came back."

"Alloute...Zero didn't mean for this. I'm sure he wants to come back to you." Ciel responded.

"Then why doesn't he?"

"He, maybe he has other things to do." Ciel offered, but in truth sometimes she had asked that question regarding Zero. She hoped that if Zero were alive he would at least contact them. "He is a legend. Legends aren't supposed to hang around. That's why they're legends. They are just memories that will be there when you need it most."

"So, if I really needed, and wanted, for Zero to come back he would?" The young girl asked.

"I'm sure he would." Ciel said with a smile.

"Then, maybe he isn't a liar. Still, he said he's come back."

"He never said when he would. Now, go get some rest okay?" Ciel offered leading the girl out.

Alloutte showed Ciel her stuffed toy bunny. "This bunny needs to be fixed. He's bleeding."

Ciel looked to find the stitching on the back of the bunny had popped and the stuffing was sort of coming out. "It's not bleeding. Why would you ever say such a thing?"

"That's what people do. Even reploids. All the ones' I've known always looked like this, and that's what the others told me was happening." Alloutte replied.

"I'll fix him for you. You'll have it back as good as new by tomorrow." Ciel said with a smile taking the animal.

"Can I sleep here with you? I don't want to walk back. That odd reploid man scares me." Alloutte said with a worried tone.

Ciel nodded and brought the girl to her rather unused bed. "Of course you can sleep her if you want. Just be quiet okay."

"I'll be quiet." Alloutte said as she settled into the bed and went to sleep.

Ciel returned to her station and went to work on her solution to the energy crisis. She stopped however and looked at the bunny she had placed on the desk. "You're worrying us Zero. Come back."

Zero stirred as the night air had taken him by surprise. He hadn't thought that he'd been out this long. Geiger delivered quite a punch to his face. Zero shifted his arm and heard pieces of metal move aside. Little bolts had scattered as he moved a black tube. All around him were dead reploid bodies that had been lying here for a long while. Mavericks as he would guess. He couldn't figure out where Geiger was, but Geiger was still alive somewhere. Geiger must have thought him to be defeated and threw him back down the shaft he had gotten himself out from moments before meeting the large reploid. Zero could make out the moon at the top of the long, desolate elevator shaft.

"My body needs to rest some more. I can't make it that far upward at this moment." Zero noted as he sat up looking over any damage he had. The only clear injuries he could find is the bruise on his face, a crack in his helmet, and the fall itself. The fall and bruise were minor and would fix themselves in no time, but the crack in his helmet couldn't be repaired by his internal systems.

_Zero..._

"Is someone there?" Zero looked around him for the voice. It wasn't a male's for sure Zero was of that. It was a female's voice he figured since it was in that tone Ciel would whisper in. Ciel, Alloutte, and Leviathan were the only females he could remember. That voice was like theirs.

_I'm waiting...so I can pick up where Geiger left off...you can come to me, or I to you...but I rather you come to me..._

Another one of Alpha's followers. Why had another come in Geiger's place? Geiger probably couldn't fit down here, and if he did not without some complications. That must be the reason another was needed. "I'll come to you then. Wait for me."

Zero ran as hard as he could down the hallway he found nearby under some other reploids. That's when he was hit with a pain to his head causing him to topple and fall to his knees. Another memory?

He was killing anything that was in his way. Everything that was there. Like he were a Maverick himself. A tall reploid was there, and a memory threw a name to Zero. Sigma. Sigma was there and was attacked by this feral Zero who didn't seem like him at all. Zero couldn't stomach what he was doing. Was this something that linked to the cause of his entombment in that capsule?

Zero found himself with a young woman in his arms. A girl with brown hair, and he was distraught. Zero realized that this woman that was dead in his past-self's arms was someone important to him, but he could only recall the voice of the female reploid. Nothing more.

Zero stood up in the elevator shaft relieved the pain in his head had subsided. "The past of who I was won't ever stop coming to me. My body already knows who I am even if it has changed. My mind is just running behind." Zero dropped into the hall below him and moved quickly, but not at his fastest in fear it may be too early to go full-force about things. Zero was never going to get to stop fighting while any X-copy existed he had found. Still, something about that also made him excited.

**********

A thanks to my sole reviewer moonymonster

No to the novelization of MMZ. This is right after 1st game. The first chapter (Prologue) in which he fights the X-copy is the true ending to the game though. So sorry if you wanted to see the end otherwise. I like to be in the past and present at the same time and never realize it. If you think about it the past is present and present past so it works out. I think the writing style changed with slight this chap, but maybe not to my best. 


	6. Watery Grave

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Thanks to the two who reviewed! I appreciate such things.

Zero Alpha

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Mission Five: Watery Grave

Zero moved down the dimly lit halls of the abandoned city once more. He was slowly recovering from his wounds he had received in the battle he had with Geiger. The city's walls had little strength anymore, as with each step Zero would note the way the wall and ceiling cracked and crumbled slightly. He was unsure if he should go any farther is fear that the place would fall apart on him. He decided to risk it in this case. If he were to go faster or try scaling the walls his recovery system may not heal him as fast as he wished. Zero didn't want to be caught defenseless when the mysterious female reploid Alpha sent decided to attack him.

As Zero passed by a length of hall he became aware of a small breeze that echoed from a crack in the wall Zero stopped next to. With a swing of his saber he broke through the wall to find many machines that were pumping water through tubes. He looked and saw many gauges that he had no idea what they stood for. He found a hydroelectric plant. The mysterious power that was fueling this city still barely was generated from this place of origin. As he approached the machines for a closer look at them the water within the pipes froze causing all electricity to halt. Zero was left standing in the dark room.

"This mausoleum has lost what life it had. I cannot allow that. These reploids, maverick or not, deserve enough respect!" Zero announced with a tight fist. "I must stop the one responsible for this injustice."

Zero darted out of the room turning on a makeshift light that he made by using some energy crystals he had and the lighting fixtures that lined the wall. He crept down the halls with caution knowing full well that his enemy had adapted to the dark in some means all ready. He came to a large echoing gap that spans at least two jumps from him. There was nothing up but death, as that the ceiling was lined with spikes. In response he looked downward seeing no bottom to the vast void. He decided to jump the pit and get to the hall that lied on the other side. With a running jump Zero jumps as high as he can and as far outward as he is able. He reaches out his right hand to catch the floor on the other side and he misses his mark. As he began to fall downward he threw his second arm upward and caught the ledge with a sigh of relief.

"You must be Zero." A young female reploid that appeared as young as Ciel stared down at him from the ledge. Her foot only centimeters from his only hand that struggled to hold on. "So, you're the legendary reploid that killed Sylph and gave Geiger a hard time." She said with a giggle flicking her white hair over her shoulder.

Zero was thinking to attack the girl since he felt endangered by her lingering left foot that lied besides his left hand. Before he did however she helped him up to the ledge with a strong tug on his arm, but Zero helped her in getting him up. "Why did you save me?"

"I, I don't want to kill you." She muttered looking away. "I have to though. For X."

"You don't have to kill me for him!" Zero argued.

"He will kill me if I fail to." The girl said turning to him with a sad face. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. "I will destroy you because he helped me. I won't turn against him no matter what he does wrong." She said with a now determined face.

"I don't want to fight you girl. I only wish to battle Alpha and dispose of his lingering threat." Zero responded standing straight and opened to attack. He had his arms spread beckoning for her to attack first. "What, are you Alpha's woman or something?"

"I, I would never!" She shouted in anger. "I have respect for him and that is all!"

"You can deny it all you want..." Zero said with a shrug making her angrier.

She calmed and formed a smile. "You're trying to make me mad. You want me to be off guard when we fight."

"You're the first in a long while to figure that much." Zero said with a chuckle. "Still, just knowing that isn't enough to win."

"I will show you otherwise." She drew a saber that shed a blue light blade. "Heh. I will find the fight fun, but the outcome will be one I do not favor. I won't like killing you, or, I won't like dying for that man, X."

"Jezz, You have so many hang-ups about this. You probably don't know who you want to have as an enemy." Zero responded. He moved his idle right hand downward to where his Z-Saber would be.

"If you just take my blade without resistance you will make this easier on me. I don't want to kill you savagely."

"If we are to fight tell me who you are."

"I'm known as, Undine."

Multitudes of X-drones hurried about the desert after a common goal. They came towards the same downed highway stretch Zero had been a day back. They were in an uncountable number and they all had Alpha and Zero in mind. As they approached the final dune the first wave was taken down by a large bombing.

Geiger stood with a small smirk as he stood a fair distance from the destroyed forces. "Master X I see that your brother's toys have caught up with us once more. What are your orders?"

"Remember we are a group of four now, and that Undine is off finishing Geiger's work." The mysterious reploid from behind Alpha reminded.

"Hmm. I will take on these enemies. You two just make sure Zero doesn't live. If he defeats Undine I want Phoenix to take him out. As for you Geiger I will insist you check on our other third foe. He must not meet Zero. If he does we may lose. If we can take each of them separately we can have victory." X ordered. "Then after we take down those two reploids we can make a move on Neo-Arcadia and take the spot Zero has emptied for us."

"Right sir." Geiger replied and went off causing much noise and dust.

"I thank you for the honor of killing Zero. I will not disappoint you." The other Alpha henchman replied before running off.

"You think these lousy things can harm me?" Alpha questioned turning his attention to the second wave of X-drones. "Take this!" He fires off a large buster attack obliterating half of the unit upon contact. He quickly charges another attack and takes down the rest of the force.

Zero and Undine's saber's clashed sending a bright spark forth to light the tunnel. With each contact a short fizz erupted from the blue and green sabers. Undine was a good warrior, but Zero had not begun to fight for real yet. Undine was a novice and Zero hadn't the heart to go all out on her. She was weaker, inexperienced, and a woman. Zero did not know how to finish this battle because he had wanted them both to walk away from the battle unharmed.

"You can still stop this." Zero advised her with a swing of his saber.

Undine easily blocks it. "You can drop your saber and admit defeat."

"I don't think so. I must continue fighting for justice and to keep innocent reploids such as ourselves alive." He jumped away from her. "I haven't been fighting you at my full capacity. Barely any if you would believe. I need for you to stop this. We can join together and fight any insolvable problem that may arise like that of Omega X." He offered allowing the green blade of his saber to fade causing darkness to engulf him. 

The only light now came from the girl's drawn blue blade. She stared at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe how simple-minded he was. She did not understand why he was doing what he did. He told her to fight for innocent people, but Alpha had been the one who done that for her. Zero was nowhere to be seen when the world needed someone like him the most.

"Please, put down your weapon and leave here with me. You have a strong personality and I admire that. You also show a loyalty to Alpha, but you can't be loyal to someone like him. He wants to form a world without reploids just like his brother." Zero stated. "He will kill you come the right time."

"He would never!"

"Wouldn't he? He's not one to be trusted." Zero countered.

"You're, You're just trying to confuse me!" She shouted. "That won't work! I won't fall for your simple battle tricks."

"I'm not trying to trick you, or even lead you on. I just don't want to fight anymore. I've seen many meaningless battles that could have been stopped by now if people only saw through it." Zero argued. "I only like fighting when there is a meaning behind it, but there are some that lack that quality. Like all the times I slashed through one of X's little drones. It was pointless and made me feel pity for them. Still, battles like the one I had with Omega X meant something. Those are the battles I enjoy."

"I, I have to kill you though." She countered trying to force that thought into her head. "I just have to!" She falls to her knees as if in defeat. "Why do you have to be such a nice guy? If you were someone like Omega X I would have ripped through you without hesitation."

"I'm sorry if my presence has been a bother, but I need to see Alpha as soon as I can." Zero said walking past her and further down the dark hall.

"Y-you can't...you can't leave me...here without...taking me with you." Undine said as she sat on bent knees on the cold damp floor.

Zero whipped around as he looked to her as she shifted to face him. "What? You want to join me then?"

"If I can't beat you...I must do that. I was built by a group of humans, one who was named Ciel. I remember her especially. They all were great people and I learned so much from them. I learned what friendship was, and I learned that fighting wasn't good. I learned to sew, write, read, draw, and my most important lesson was who I should side with, and who I shouldn't." Undine explained. "You're someone I should join with."

Zero nodded and watched as she began to stand. He then gasped when he noticed something further down the corridors. The place was caving in. "Undine!"

She turned to look back, but she froze up and the ceilings and walls began to collapse around her. Each stone falling upon her body and Zero watched as all this occurred trying to decipher what had caused such a thing to occur.

"Pathetic." Alpha said with a scoff leaving the desolate desert filled with pieces of X-drones behind. He had destroyed them all with only wasting little energy and having caused the city below his feet to begin falling apart as if sealing the ghosts of the deceased within. "Why did my fellow copy think these would ever accomplish anything?"

"Zero?" A voice whispered through the dark.

"Be quiet." Zero said with emotion as he cradled Undine in his arms. "You don't have enough power to say such trivial things."

"Wh...what happened?" Undine asked as if she was not there.

"The city no longer has strength. It gave out on you because of something unknown." Zero noted looking around the rubble.

"I, I know that...How did I survive?"

"I got you out of the way, but not in enough time. You're badly damaged." Zero explained. "You can live through this. I'm not about to let you die just after meeting you."

"I'm...I'm afraid...that I am not...built like you Zero...I won't recover from this...You could, but not me..." Undine said as she attempted to move her arm to get up. "I'm not strong enough..."

"If you stop moving you'll get better." Zero advised, but she placed her hand on his shoulder instead. Zero broke from her clutching his head in pain. He let out an agonizing yell as he threw his head into the wall to stop it. A memory flooding back to him that he could not hold onto.

"Zero?" Undine muttered in worry.

Zero could only see him holding the young brown-haired female reploid once more. This time however he had more than a voice. He remembered her vaguely as a member of a group that he had to fight as one time. He still couldn't remember who she was and what she meant to him though.

Zero caught his breath as the pain was relieved. "That same scene..."

"What...what...what..." Undine muttered not able to continue her sentence. Her head fell to the side as Zero watched realizing the fact she was dead.

"You just had to die." He said roughly standing up. "I thought you were better than that!" He shouted at her and bent down to pick her up in his arms bridal style. "I thought you were strong, but you were only offering an illusion of that when you fought me. In truth you are weak, but you didn't feel the need to show that. You didn't want me to know how weak you were." Zero stated as he walked down the hall before halting when he sensed something. A loud eruption had occurred behind him and he had no clue as to what it was. He moved with, as much speed as he could muster and ran until he came to a clearing where at the top was a long stretch of a metal rung ladder. He jumped to the ladder and began his way up the pipe that lead to what he believed was the surface with Undine still in his arms.

He got near the top, but he found he had not enough hands to turn the lock and open the panel to get outside. The unknown noise he had heard came closer to him and he became anxious to get out of the underground labyrinth he has spent what was like a forever in. With clumsy actions he shift Undine's body aside to clutch the metal lock with his two hands. With all his might he begins to turn the stubborn lock that won't budge easily. Finally the panel opens allowing him to move, but as he goes to get out he drops the other reploid's limp body to the floor below him.

"Damn." He began to go down to get her despite the oncoming sound that was ever more closer to him. As he came to the halfway point he was stopped by a second sound.

"Zero...Go..." Undine struggled to say with all she had left. "I'm...I'm sorry...that I...was so...weak..."

Zero was confused as to what to do. Should he go and scoop her up, or leave as she had requested? Before he could respond to that question he realized what the approaching sound was: Water. "No, not enough time." He began upward kicking off the walls as the large amount of water swept away Undine in an instant. The water surged upward towards him as he jumped up even faster. With a last jump he gave a grunt as he flew past the ground and into the air. He landed hard on the soft desert sand as a stream of water shot out into the sky before settling and merely draining out onto the desert sand.

As the water and sand mixed Zero continued to lie in it defeated. He had not the energy to get up, but he soon found he wanted to. "So, you are the other reploid?"

Zero looked up to the male reploid that was human in appearance. Not at all like Fefnir, or other reploids besides he and X. "Who are you?"

"They say I'm a maverick, but I doubt that. You must be Zero. I heard you got Omega, but still you haven't gotten Alpha. That leaves us both with a similarity. We both want Alpha dead, and are his enemy." The reploid stated offering a hand to Zero.

Zero waited with hesitation as he looked over the reploid. With the dirt in his face he couldn't make out what this guy looked like, but something told Zero to trust him. "You still have yet to tell me your name."

"All in due time." He said while lifting Zero out of the mess with his hand. "You need to get cleaned up a bit first." 


	7. Mysterious Reploid

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Zero Alpha

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Mission Six: Mysterious Reploid

Zero sat on what had once been the spine of some organic animal that lied beside some other corpses human and reploid. He was allowing the warm sun to dry up his wet body. Across the way stood a reploid not unlike him. They wore a dirty brown poncho over what seemed like black armour from what Zero saw when the desert wind blew the poncho around. His helm was black as well and not much different in design than his own. As if the two were of the same origin, or at least the same creator.

"Who are you? Should I be afraid of you?" Zero asked seriously with narrowed eyes.

The reploid scoffed. "If you wish to be. Alpha seems to be scared of both of us."

"You, are powerful like he and I." Zero commented.

"Like you I am an outdated reploid." The reploid noted.

"So what are you to Alpha?"

"He found me in a capsule and after awakening me saw that I was a equal match to his power. He is afraid of anything close to his strength and that is why he had failed to face his brother up to now." The reploid informed him.

"How do you know that?"

"I have acted as a shadow to Alpha until this time. I became aware of your arrival and defeat of Omega and I see a powerful ally in you." The reploid replied quickly. "But, only one of us can destroy Alpha. The other won't last until the end."

"What?"

"Only one of us will make it away from the battle with Alpha and his cronies." The reploid explained. "I wonder which of us it will be?" He jested.

Zero watched him in silence. "Who are you to talk such a way?"

"My name, is Loki. At least that's what I have named myself."

"What do you mean 'named yourself'?"

"Unlike you I have no legend, and absolutely no memories. Maybe I was made and just sealed away forever. I just have no clues as to what my name is and who I am." Loki explained with a shrug.

"I see. How can I trust you though? You provide me with nothing to cause me to do such."

"I have told you so much. You still cannot trust me after so much?" Loki asked with a smirk. "You really are a great warrior just as I have heard."

Zero shied away from that legend status. It was not something to be proud of he found and it was becoming annoying. Zero only did what he felt he had to do and nothing else. He fought Omega X to protect all that are innocent. "You said you are my equal correct?"

"Not at all your equal. You are far superior, but not at this moment. I am at my best as you see me now, but you are not. Not only are you just plain tired you also have not unlocked all your abilities that you once held. Imagine the power you will gain in time." Loki responded.

"I see, but you said I am weaker than you at this second?" Zero asked to clarify that fact.

"Correct, but not by much. You are so much faster. My buster is just more powerful as well as maybe my endurance even though they are near equals." Loki confirmed.

"I see. What do you plan to do now?"

"I will go to Alpha's base."

"You know of its location?" Zero asked in an outburst.

"Of course. How could I be his shadow and not know of it?"

"You will go there and fight him?"

"I will go now and wait for you. It is twelve miles north of this spot." Loki said disappearing into a sand cloud that blew past as the wind picked up. 

Zero stared after not knowing what happened to Loki. Zero stood up and remembered what Loki said and began for the base that Alpha has been using as a hideout. What would he find there though?

"Operation Righteous Strike?" Ciel questioned.

"Right. That was what I heard Elpizo calls this plan of his." Cerveau replied. "We must be cautious of his decisions. Even though you gave him command of the resistance forces he must not be left alone."

"I have faith that he will lead us with the right mind. We should not be worried."

"That is a bit stupid of someone so smart." Cerveau said in regards to her words.

"What do you mean?"

"You gave someone like him so much power, and he has no clue as to how he should wield it. He has already shown that he intends to take Neo-Arcadia by force."

"Maybe you're right. We should at least help guide him to make correct decisions." Ciel responded.

"Still, I don't trust him much."

Zero ran faster into the afternoon lit desert in the wide open space nature provided him. He had thought of travelling with more stealth, but the area was a barren wasteland with very little cover, and he did not want to waste any time crawling through the sands for twelve miles. He knew however that either the drones Neo-Arcadia uses or a Alpha flunky would spot him eventually. He hated how right he was though.

Zero jumped aside just in time to dodge a blast of fire that hit the ground. "So Alpha sent another useless reploid after me?"

"I will show how wrong you are." Stated the reploid that landed on the ground. 

"So, a flying, fire-spewing reploid is it?" Zero asked in regards to the flaming reploid bird before him. "This should take me a mere two minutes if you just accept your fate."

The reploid gave a cackle. "Very funny. I think you have that in reverse. No one reploid can defeat Phoenix so easily."

"How scary." Zero noted.

******************************

There goes. I got MMZ2 for XMAS and now I feel foolish since there really is a boss in it that is a phoenix, but I'm not about to change my whole story around because of that. If you must think of this one as the other's brother. They sort of look the same anyway. 


	8. The Seventh Chapter

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Zero Alpha

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Mission Seven: Swooping Fire Bird!

With a cackle Phoenix was to the air circling Zero as a vulture would. With one swift wave of his wings a crushing ball composed of flame came down on Zero. Bending his knees slowly Zero launches himself through the flame drawing his blade and swings just missing the reploid in the air. As Zero returns to the soft desert earth Phoenix takes the advantage and rams into the falling red armoured-clad sending him sprawling to the sand.

A second cackle came from the bird-like reploid. "Is that all the _legendary Zero_ can do?"

Zero formed a fist lifting himself off the ground. "Defeat belongs only to you." Standing strong and tall Zero brought his saber back forming it's green blade. "Right, maybe I miscalculated earlier about this taking two minutes, but still in the end you will remain a heap of egotistical retired reploid."

"Funny legend man. I'd like to see you do that."

"Anything for those who request it." Zero jumps high once more, but as Phoenix goes to strike him he drops touching the ground sending a buster shot into the sand. As the sand hovers in the air covering his movements Zero runs to the rear side of Phoenix jumping into the air. While Phoenix frantically searches the cloud of dirt Zero takes his saber slashing the left wing of his enemy in thirds. Zero falls safely landing on the ground, but his enemy crashes into the orange sand of the desert. "Maybe two minutes from here."

"Sh-Shut up!" Phoenix fumed as he rose from his fallen position. "My ability to fly is not my only attack. Even without that one wing I remain just as powerful!"

"I'd like to see what a wingless bird can do." Zero brought his blade up as he entered a defensive stance. "I can't waste time. There is too much for me to do."

"This is what you get for underestimating me!" Phoenix declares as his remaining wing disconnects and is grabbed by his right hand. "These feathers scream for revenge for their brother's death!" Stretching his hand outward Zero studies the wings as they illuminate an ember red. "Return to your legends!" With one movement the feathers disperse raining down on Zero as he narrowly dodges each of the thousands of feathers as they hit the ground. The seemingly endless assault continues even after several of the feathers embed themselves in his leg armour and one in his left shoulder. As the feathers stop their attack Zero hiding his pain removes the feathers quickly. "Still alive eh?"

Taking in a breath Zero stands tall once more. "That move was pointless. You can only perform it once."

"I'm aware of that." Phoenix threw out another of his annoying cackles. "Zero was known for his amazing speed and how fast he was able to draw his blade with his left arm." Zero's eyes grew wide in shock. Phoenix had actually aimed for those spots. The ones that hit him must have been thrown directly while the rest were just decoys. 

Zero put aside that shock and grinned. "You may be smart, but your information is not reliable." Zero went to move his left arm for his blade and Phoenix went to block an attack that would come from Zero's left arm. "I don't draw with my left." With that Zero's right arm flung his blade into Phoenix's long neck chopping off the reploid's head. "Fool."

Zero watched as Phoenix's body continued forward. With a small blast from his buster he send the reploid to a death in the desert sands. Zero settles down on the side as he rests for a time recovering from his wounds. Only eight miles to Alpha. With that in mind Zero stood and began for his enemies place.

Zero's chest blown apart. With that he fell to the ground in shock as parts and fluids painted the room. Before him with the guilty gun an X copy with a grin of satisfaction on their face. With a panicked cry she flung her head upward. "It was a nightmare..."

Ciel looked at her station eyeing her work. She had never had such a vivid dream before in her life. It was a scary sight for her that seemed like she had been just by his side. She knew that he survived his fight with the Omega X, but she had doubts that he was still alive now. The person in her dream was an X copy as well. She recalled how she had made a first copy, an Alpha version, but that one had been sealed away. Ciel breathed in the stale air and calmed herself. Zero was a strong reploid, and strong reploids do not die. She just had to keep that in mind. 


	9. The Eighth Chapter

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Zero Alpha

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Mission Eight: The rematch in the Final Moments

Zero settled as he came to an end of the desert. It was still desert, but it no longer was the endless stretch of soft sand that seemed hard to journey on. It was now hard land, like that of rock that was much easier to traverse. Still the area was vacant and there was not much to be seen, but nevertheless it was not desert. He had come many miles and by now knew himself to not be very far from where Alpha based himself. Ahead of him stood a small structure that seemed to be an old abandoned tower that was in bad condition. He came closer to it to inspect it and jumped to the top with three kicks off the wall. He peered down into the vacant hole and narrowed his eyes as he noticed that the vacant tunnel seemed more like a passageway that connected a series of paths. 

"Movement?"

Zero jumped back falling toward the ground as a volley of missiles fired out from the hole. As he landed on the ground he watched as the tower blew apart just below the surface. "So, we meet once more." From the settling dust slowly was Geiger. 

The cannons and guns all aligned to fix on Zero. "Heh. So it's you again."

"Don't sound so cocky." Geiger grinned. "You lost last time if you remember."

"I never lose a second time." Zero smirked.

"We'll see." The cannon ignited and shots rained on Zero whom dashed forward kicking up dust as he did so. With the draw of his saber one cannon was in two as he landed softly behind the huge reploid. 

"No more boasting from you now?"

"Sh-shut up! You'll see how foolish you are soon enough." Turning to face Zero he lets out another missile barrage. Zero nimbly dodges every projectile as well as the blast as he aims his buster at the spot below Geiger's neck. The most vulnerable spot. "Not today!"

Geiger shot out his hand for Zero's buster arm. Jumping to the air Zero twists slashing Geiger's extended cable that was attached to the hand in two. "Keep your eyes on all my appendages." 

"H-How? That was made of the strongest alloys!" Geiger stuttered stepping back. He regained his previous attitude and fired out at Zero with a laser from his eyes. Zero blocks with his saber blocking the fire. "I see. You are a formidible foe."

"Will you give up now then?" Zero rested a moment. 

"I will not let you meet my master. He has kept me safe and operational, and I will do the same for him." Geiger muttered. "I will not allow you to harm Lord Alpha!" Moving too fast for Zero to react Geiger latches onto Zero gripping tightly to the hero's arms at the shoulders. "You will die with me!"

"Let go you fool!" Zero squirmed remaining unable to break free of the reploid's grasp. No matter how hard he tried he just could not get himself free. 

"Now we die!" With one swift eruption there was nothing left in the area of the desert.

"Hmm." Loki opened his left eye to spy the explosion from a cliff. "What's he up to?"

"So that fool is gone now?" Alpha commented. "Obviously my help was poor. I should have chosen more wisely."

"Mr. Zero?" The young girl held her stuffed plush tighter. An annoucement she overheard just now from some resistance reploids. A large explosion occurred far away in the desert. She was worried Zero was out in that place. He promised her he would come back. He promised. Would he? 


	10. The Ninth Chapter

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Zero Alpha

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Mission Nine: Strength

Loki stood on the edge of Alpha's compound as he watched the dust blow across the lands. The dust that came from the explosion he had known Zero to be in the center of. He knew that only one of them would defeat Alpha, but he had thought Zero would at least make it to the X copy. Loki knew the job that fell onto his shoulders now. He was the only one left to kill Alpha, the reploid who is too powerful to be left alive.

Loki came to the enterance to the base and discaded the poncho he had worn for travel; it would only hinder him in battle. His armour a dark black with blotches of dirt left on it. His only other colour was orange that appeared on his lower torso and other random parts. He was quite similar to Zero in design. The same man made him after all.

"It's you?" 

Loki turned to Alpha. Alpha remained calm even in the prescence of his foe. "You will have to die. You must know that."

"I will die, but not today, and most assuredly not by your hands." Alpha spat back. "I suppose I will have to fight you."

"Of course."

"I know you. I woke you from your capsule." Alpha commented. "I know your past."

"My past?" Loki asked with intrigue. He knew nothing of that. He knows not what he was once. Would he really want to know though? What had he been? If he let Alpha let the truth be known would he be any better off? No, his past was his past now. He can't waver. "You face me now. That information is useless."

"That is why i let you shadow me for the time."

"You knew?" Loki gasped. "You knew I had spied on you and saw every move you made?"

"You cannot trick these superior sensors of mine."

Loki prepared his buster by withdrawing his hand inward. "We'll see who is the superior model."

"I will meet with you when you are ready." Alpha entered his base.

Loki needed no time. He rushed after the copy and the two were soon within a large underground arena. A huge warehouse of sorts that stored nothing. Plenty of room for a fight between two high class reploids.

Wasting no time Loki fired off consecutive rounds of his buster missing Alpha who effortlessly dodged every attack. Loki moved from Alpha's own attacks, but he had put his all into dodging. Alpha's speed was far above Lokis' own. Alpha had all the best of traits in reploids with combat capabilities. He had strength, endurance, speed, and mind. Loki could rely only on hsi endurance and strength. It was what kept him alive this long. His will to survive and become the best has never left him.

Loki had felt that his eternal enemy was Alpha. Not just Alpha though. Every time he saw any X he only wanted to destroy them. Loki wanted every X dead. If he could he knew he could rest in peace. That he could finally say he was strongest.

"You have no motivation!" Alpha shouted as he was able to blow apart the top of the helmet Loki wore.

Loki fell to the ground sprawling out on the cold floor. He spit blood to the ground and stood slowly. "I will become the strongest reploid ever! I will be the strongest! Only you stand in my way! You always have, Mega Man!"

"Heh, so you remember now." Alpha chortled. "You remember who you are?"

"I can remember it." Loki concentrated on that thought. On who he was. "My name, My name is Bass. I will destroy Mega Man, and in turn Alpha, I will also kill you."

"Such a stupid reason behind your actions." Alpha ventured with a scoff. "How pathetic."

"Die!" Before he could fire a round a hole was blasted through his chest by Alpha's buster.

"Fool." A speck of rock fell on the copy's shoulder. He looked up in wonder as the ceiling caved in. 

The rubble of the roof dispersed across the ground and the dust settled. "Alpha!" Zero stood with no noticeable injuries inbetween the two combatants.

"So you still live Zero?" Alpha questioned. "Geiger was a waste. All four were. They were worthless to me and our cause."

"How can you say that about them?" Zero shouted. "They all were loyal to you! Sylph, he was devoted to you like a son. He died for you."

"That boy was annoying. His speed was the only thing that kept me from killing him." Alpha mentioned. "You were faster, so he is worthless."

Zero clenched a fist in fury. "Undine felt she owed you. She never did. She only wanted to not be killed."

"She was right to think such. I always knew she would fail. I sent her to die because I felt no need to dirty my hands." Alpha returned. "She could have at least slowed you down, but she failed that too. She was nothing worth keeping."

"You sent her to fight so she would die?" Zero fumed. "And Phoenix too, he was loyal."

"His cackle annoyed me. I'm glad he's no longer here."

"Geiger. He was your devoted henchman. He gave his life just to kill me. I'm guessing he held nothing in regards to your guilt."  


"I have no guilt." Alpha stepped back. "How did you get out from Geiger? His final exploding bear hug should have killed you."

"The tunnel. There was a tunnel he came up from earlier. It connects to one just above us now." Zero explained. "At the last second I was able to break free with a headbutt and that is where I knew to go."

"You realize that even though you have fought hard battles. That you have made it this many miles." Alpha paused with a smrik. "You will die here. Even Bass has fallen. He was your equal and it was an easy kill."

"I have not died." Bass stood slowly gripping at his side that no longer was there. "Zero, it looks like I was right."

"Loki?"

"Only one of us will make it to Alpha."

"Shut up. Hang in there and I'll get us both out of here." Zero commented.

"I told you that we were not equal."

Zero nodded. "You said, I was the stronger of us."

"And you are. You were made to be stronger than me. To be better than me." Loki looked to the floor with blurring vision. "I was a failure. I was. You were the one who was to be my better."

"Loki, you know your past now?" Zero ventured.

"Yeah, I do." Loki fell to his knees. "It doesn't matter who I am or was now. I'm nothing now."

"You said I was created to be your better. What do you mean by that?" Zero felt that maybe his true memory could return to him. He was with X 102 years ago, but he knows there must have been something before that. What was he before a hunter?

"Zero, you-" Before the words finished the head of Bass was blown into threes. 

Alpha rested his smoking buster as Bass collapsed to the floor in a puddle. "Shut up you relic."

Bass looked to Zero with all his leftover power. "You are not strong, yet."

"What?"

"You…you need to…to…to…becom…become stronger." Bass sputerred and fell into death. His body no longer functioned.

Zero stared at him as if his glare would make the reploid stand and say, 'just kidding'. That would not happen though. He had only one path now. One choice. One enemy. One future. "Alpha, no more of X shall come to this time that is not X himself! You're evil desires must be stopped. You can never be half the X the real X was. You can never be as strong as the one you're modelled for!"

"If that were only true."

"What?"

"I'm the prototype copy if you remember. There was not enough data to successfully create another X at my time." Alpha displayed himself. "Look familiar Zero?"

"You don't mean,"

"The parts of X I have not are replaced by the data that Ciel had on you. You are like my father in a way Zero. You helped make me."

No anger could match the red hero's now. he had seen all of his henchmen give their lives freely for Alpha. They were dead and he cared not. He saw Loki die, and he knew of the people he had hurt in the past. He was not just X now. He was a part of him. His life led to Alpha's creation. His only choice now was to kill Alpha. He had no other alternative this time. He had nothing left to hold onto. All he had was the stretch of desert to return to. That was all. He would put his all into one punch as he would every one after until Alpha fell. Every buster shot, and sword swing all went to Alpha. That was the only option left for the legendary red hero of lore. 


	11. The End

****

Zero Alpha

****

Mission Ten: The End

"Zero." Ceil looked out from the hanger bay. There was only miles upon miles of virtually nothing. There was not much these days in the wild. Not for a long time. Still, her thoughts remained on the hero who had gone to fight Omega. It was all her fault for everything. She brought the X copies into the world. It was her fault. And, Zero knew that. He still fought for her, sort of. He fought for everyone. The world still needed him though. She still needed him to help take out Neo-Arcadia. Even without X they still posed a threat after all. 

"Miss Ciel?"

"Elpizo?"

There stood the golden commander. "What brings you here?"

"I was just thinking. I can't be working forever."

"I was listening to Andrew today."

"Oh?"

"About his story and his wife. How he asked you to modify him."

"Yes, it's romantic. He wanted to be old because of his wife."

"I was thinking more about how his wife was human, and he reploid."

"That too."

"Do you think that's possible?"

"That he and his wife were in love? Of course."

"No, maybe I should ask this. Would you, being human, love a reploid?"

"Isn't that very personal?"

"I'm only asking."

"A person can love anyone, or anything. If there came along somebody who I could love i wouldn't care what he was."

"I see."

"Does that help?"

"Yes, indeed. Thank you." Elpizo lurched away.

She stared after him bewildered. He was acting quite peculiar. At least when she talked to him.

***

"That doesn't matter."

"I think it does Zero."

"Just because you are based partly on me doesn't mean you are me."

"A simple observation."

"Ciel only wanted to create something good. That's why she made you."

"Do you hate her, for making me? For making Omega?" Alpha scoffed.

"No, why should I hate her. I shouldn't have to hate anyone." Zero sighed grasping his blade. "But, I hate you. I can't digest that a person so ruthless exists."

"Maybe I am not this way because of who I am. Maybe I was made this way Zero." Alpha noted. "Maybe even by Ciel."  


"Her dream had nothing to do with what you and Omega wanted." Zero countered.

"Then maybe, what if I said that the fact I have parts based on you caused me to be as I am?" 

"You attack every character except yourself! What if the blame rests souly in you!" Zero replied enraged. He was tired of talking with somone who would never recognize their own faults.

"Right, lets do as we've come to do." Alpha fired a buster shot towards an unready Zero. In response Zero jumps aside to the wall and flips back. "How many shots does it take to blow you apart? Maybe three?"

Alpha fires off to consecutive shots that Zero gets by. "hardly." He let out with a breath. More shots came and each one he was able to dodge, but Alpha was getting closer with each shot. Zero was actually running out of breath. A first in a long while. He was not getting any attacks in. That was why Alpha was sure to win. He needed to pull one of his good one liners. "You're not as strong as Omega y'know. He was a better aim too."

"Ha! He was nothing compared to me!"

"If he was better than you, and X was better than him, and I was better than X and Loki. Doesn't that mean I'm the best?"

"Who ever said you were better than X?"

"No one really."

"You're wrong! I am better than X was. He was nothing but the basis of who I am." Alpha argued as he continued firing at the slowing Zero. "He was nothing compare dto me. As are you!"

"Believe what you will." Zero uses the ceiling to fly at alpha slashing off a leg in the process. "You stink." Zero froze as he heard the buster charging behind him.

"I do?" 

"Yeah." Zero smirked and had his shoulder grazed by a blast he nearly was hit by. "Horrible aim again. If you want somebody dead," He stood and turned firing a blast for Alpha's face. "Hit them in the face!"

Alpha moves but is hit in the collar by the blast sending him to the floor. Zero acts on that and thrusts his saber into the abdominal area of his enemy. "good shot." Alpha grimly noted.

"I know." Zero withdrew his blade and stumbled aside in exhaustion. He had won. That was all that mattered now.

"But, it wasn't good enough." Zero's eyes shot open. "Omega had a second form correct? He turned into Seraph."

"He did."

"I'm his oposite if you remember." A light blinded Zero as he tried to stand. The small underground area seemed to fall apart around him. He jumped up trying not to be caught in the rubble. He kept jumping off the sides of anything he came across. Always going a bit higher. He finally reached the desert ground and found there was no higher to be. There was nothing. He was there above where he stood. There was one large hole and nothing more. "Welcome to your end Zero."

"Omega changed to Seraph and lost." Zero noted with confidence. "X never changed. At least I don't remember him doing so." He continued. "And, I never needed to change either."

"That's why you lose." From the pit rose Alpha in a new fashion. A demonic form. He had the devil's tail, the wings of a demon, and his arms with claws like a dragon. Nothing seemed any deadlier.

"A new change to you? I thought Seraph looked a bit better."

"No more of your blasphemy!" A beam shot from Alpha's head for Zero who nimbly dodged the blast as sand and rock splinetered and fell about the red warrior.

"It took me about five minutes down there to beat you." Zero commented as he dodged a swipe of Alpha's arms. "One change in you." He moved from a second swipe and a thrust of the tail. "That means You'll be on your face in about two minutes."

"You think this is a joke."

"No, just you." Reigniting his saber Zero jumped to the air above the demonic form of Alpha. There he felt he could hear five people calling out to him. One was Loki. Then there was Undine. She only wanted to rest. There was X too. He wanted the world to be at peace above all else. "I'm tired of your voice Alpha!" There were two others though. They did not seem audible right now, but he knew he would get to hear those two again. Very soon enough. he had to just do one more thing. "Stop being stubborn." Zero tossed his blade downward as he prepared a blast from his buster. Just as he did Alpha charged up the beam weapon on his head. Zero's seen his future. He had nothing to worry about.


	12. The Epilogue

****

Zero Alpha

****

Mission Eleven: Epilogue

There was only dust. There was a wind and quiet, along with dust. Very tranquil and awkward considering this had been a battlefield not long ago. Zero had fought with Alpha to his best ability. He took his chance and took to the air, and the battle was over. Now there was neither of the two in sight. Nothing at all.

That was broken by the small army of X-drones that congregated at the sight of the battle. Sent in search of Alpha, and even possibly Zero. Unfortunately for them, one of them lived.

Three drones fell to pieces after a green blur took them apart. In the pieces of them stood a crimson hero of legend. A reploid that seemed unstoppable. Undefeatable. People never understood that you should never go against someone who is described as a legend. Even with his broken buster arm that was incabale of a charge shot he was still formitable. He taught that to the squad of sixteen drones.

In the wind was a brown cloth. A cloak worn by Loki at one time. Zero grasped it and put it on as the desert sun stared down on him. He still had a long way to go from here. Before he got back to where he should be. How much would things have changed since hes been away? 


End file.
